Work support



June 2, 1953 w, N FRANK I 2,640,399

' WORK SUPPORT Filed Feb. 5, 1,948 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. wu rie fw/YA June 2, 1953 w. N. i FRANK 2,640,399

WORK SUPPORT Filed Feb. 5, 1948 4/ 4a v I m f 2 sheets-sheet 2 hl i i; L;

INVENTOR. ummm/mx Patented June 2, 1 953 UNITED Sitting Aire-NT ort-icc ociosos wo'iii sUPrbi'i v wi'tor N.yFioii1 Dayton, omo; ossiijoigtozriij AoexMooh-iiio oo vTool ooiiirany, norton, ohio',A 'a corporation of Ohio solitarios Fat any 5, iris; "serial No. :orto f (or. to-i118) This inventionrelates to aJ` device r for supp'drting the end portion` oie, workv piece during adent-` ting operation thereon, Yand is designed more particularly for supporting the tzipered end 'f e Phillips type screw driver bit while said end is being slotted, but is not limited to ksucio ooe. o

The Phillips typesore'w hasmtwo intersecting slots in the head thereof Asind the for driving such a screw lies a tpered entiv portion which is slotted tov provide theysare with vfour'ifffitlietl ribs adapted to enter the portions or the respective slotsin" the screw head.'` In ina-nufcturing such a bit it is` usntlly n onted `in a chuck with the tapered nd thereof projecting beyond the ood of the chuck. wiiileso iiioiiritobi tri terceros end of the Vbit is actedupon by -rotiry cutter to successively form the four slots therein. o 'lfhe action of the cutter subjects the projecting end portion of the bit to hevy trnsver'se pressure which tends to, and oftenl does., de'e'ct' the pro?A jecting end portion of the bit roin its true al'xial position'. a result of such deileztionv the slots are improperly formed andthe bit will' not proporly engage thel slots the screw lizid.

The main objectof the' invefntion`i`sto provide' means for preventing the deflection off the projecting portion of such'raloity during the slotting operation and thusinsuring the forming of proper slots'. n Y 4 A further object of the `invenftir'n-'- is to pro in a machine for operatingvonthe end portionof a work piece' a" simple; eilicint device for supi porting the end.. of the worl; piece gejinsft defiedtion, which will not interfere with or retrd the normal operation of the machine) V o o A further object of the; invention' is'tbjlprovide' such 2t support whi'ohooain be' eas Yyfjin'sft'alle on an existing machine without ni'aterial"chbJ ge in the construction' or operation of thnejqchine. Y

Other objects ofthe invention may 'appear' as the invention is describedinjdetailv-- l In the accompanying' dra'gwngs; s n tical section taken throughvva milling ,rhctchinez equipped with my supporting device; Fig; endv View of a; portion of suchniaj the supportinedovioo iri frorit oie y is o coton vieivof trio* soooortiiigj-elc for; @iid Fig. 4 is a top plalnnview of the supportin'gY elek' i v i'\.',i. y A2"- In these drawings I hive,illustrtedwoneemf bodiment of the invention andhave shown the same in connection with'a milling-machine ofc: known type, but itis to be understood' that the supporting device' my tti'ke` varioiisiforlns" and' mayV be used with-any machine' suitableffor slot# tot dite: I g 'on' iheenfd portons of Vbits. orygpotiior Worx; puces orvrarious rinus: o Thewillustrate nichine, being of@ known iS/'iii vvilly ds@ ibd' .0111i Suf'ieni detail to jeabletb oit slottig coercitionl to be rincor-` Si'OQd: This mhirie'omprse a bese ,whichvis in Unid 9.11' .Suitelsuppri for movement tol orti arid' froiiji ki rotaryncutterj Vs,4 the cutter bins. iniiritedfbrmiis. ndt .her ShO'Ws in a predetermined position with eltbn to the ,snp port ,The frame .of ih@ .maahie C'mpris'es upright front 'find rear'fra'rne members; ,9 land Ii), mounted on the base' ,5, Ah chuck i'supvportin member l`| is rrangf'edkb'etwe thefraime rhein# bers 21nd provided with regirwardly extendingl small diameter portion, o'rtrunnion; I2 which is rotatably mounted in tliprea'r frame member I0. The 'chuck sur'portin` member Ill is' provided with an acil'recess I3 which is rigidly secured the roerend or laitubuir chuck litho rorwriiV ric portionof whioh is slotted to provide the same with jaws` l5; th forward portions ofthe jws being` thickened sind provided with recessed plrts lo to receive eind gripe bit orworl;y piece I'l. noch jaw is" bro'viddlat its forward end withl ari inclined 'outer surface iii constituting coinsiir-v face. Arranged between' the' rotatable chuck supporting member H eind the front frme meinb'o'r cis' cri-'ucr octu'ting iet/icov ljsrwhioh is' iid-f ebly supported 21nd includesv i forwrdly'extending cylindrical port '12o mounted in the front fratrie member-,extending bout tborjo'ws t5' and having sin inne'r "cn'srfo'e'Z' to cooperate: with tho surftoos o'f trie jaws. Themomber ls' further inoludes et roiiiouy extending portion or corrige* 2g arrarigea-in cavity 2s formed in th iront frame member, the ro'ar end off th cavity being o'l'o'sd bythe front surface of the chuck supporting member l i.l annular piston 24. is mounted oiitbo roer foto or inenting@ l22 and is' spaced from the ohuoi'sulporting member to provieflb'otwori tb'o't member ons' the pist-oir ari oirl chamber 25'. A spring" 2s confined between thov port 22 one the front' frame rooiirbor urges tbe ont 22' arid tbelpiotoir 24' rearwardly. The air chamber asis' corioeotooiY by dooft 2i with' radier porto is irr tbe'srnotu" diooiotor portion of' tbeobucr; supporting iiiiobor n' ndtbos ports' communicate v'vitii'o'nl annular iron-rmer 29' formed m the from@ bioiriboH lo' about the por; tronic or tbe chock supporting member. 'rb charmer 292 is connected by ci duotgso' with an oir ini-ot port el` pibihjin turn; is connecte by o" cori# duit-32 with o suitable* sborofo'f ou'ppiy or oir under pressure' and providy'dwwith lal vzallifey or other means: not shown', for cob-trolling the" not? of air to the air chamber 25. An actuating, or indexing, device, a part of which is shown at 33, is provided for imparting rotation to the chuck supporting member and the chuck.

When the machine is idle the air supply is cut o and the piston 24 is retained in its retracted position by the spring 26, thereby retaining the chuck actuating device 20 in its retracted position. With the parts in these positions the bit, which has been provided with a tapered end, is inserted in the chuck. The air valve is then closed to actuate the piston and cause the bit to be firmly gripped by the chuck. In this position the tapered end portion of the bit extends substantially beyond the forward end of the chuck but is spaced from the rotating cutter 8. The machine is then moved forwardly on the support 6 to move the tapered end of the bit into engagement with the cutter which forms the rst slot in the tapered end of the bit. When this slot has been formed the machine as a whole is retracted, the chuck supporting member and chuck rotated through a quarter rotation and the machine again advanced to cause a second slot to be cut in the tapered end of the bit. These operations are repeated until the four slots have been cut and the machine is then retracted, the air supply out off to release the bit and the latter is removed and another bit iner serted in the chuck.

The pressure exerted on the projecting end of the bit by the cutter, during the cutting operation, tends to deflect the bit downwardly, and if so deected the slot formed therein will be of insufficient depth or will be otherwise defective. To prevent this deflection of the end portion of the bit and thus insure the proper forming of the slots in the bit I haveprovided a supporting device arranged to engage the projecting end portion of the bit and to positively support the same against deflection. This supporting device may take various forms but it is preferably provided with a cavity into which the tapered end of the bit extends and has supporting engagement with the Wall of the recess. In the construction here shown the supporting device comprises a hat relatively narrow plate 34 which is mounted on the base 5 of the machine. In the present instance the plate is arranged between upright members 35 and 3G rigidly secured to said base and clamped against the plate 3A by screws 3l extending through openings 38 in the plate. The openings are preferably elongated to permit the vertical adjustment of the supporting plate and an adjusting screw 39 engages the lower end of the plate to retain the same in its adjusted position. In its upper end portion the plate is provided with a cavity 4B a part of which is arranged in axial alinement with the chuck and is preferably shaped to conform to the shape of the projecting end of the bit so as to nt snugly about the same. When, as in the present instance, the forward end of the bit is tapered this cavity preferably comprises a tapered or frustc-conical opening extending through the supporting plate adjacent the upper edge of the latter and that portion of the plate above the opening 4D is slotted as shown at 4l to permit the cutter to engage the end of the bit which is in the opening 40. The slot 4l is preferably of a width less than the width of the opening 4i! so that the wall of the opening extends about the major portion of the end of the bit and thus firmly supports the same. The side walls 42 of the slot converge downwardly to 4 the opening so as to provide the cavity with a iiared upper portion. Due to the tapered shape of the recess the lower edges of the side walls converge forwardly but are at all points of a width sufcient to permit the passage of the cutter. The supporting plate being mounted on the base of the machine with the opening 40 in axial alinement with the chuck the tapered end of the bit will enter the opening when the bit is inserted in the chuck and the supporting device Will accurately position the same with relation to the cutter.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of myA invention I Wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may 'occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a machine comprising a cutter rotatable about a xed axis, a base movable toward and from said cutter, a chuck mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation thereto and adapted to support a Work piece with one end thereof projecting beyond said chuck toward said cutter, and a supporting element mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation to said chuck and having a cavity to receive said end of said work piece and support the same against deflection, whereby the end of the work piece may be inserted in said cavity simultaneously with its insertion in said chuck, will be held against movement with relation to said Work pieceand will be moved into engagement with said cutter by the movement of said base toward said cutter.

2. In a machine comprising a cutter rotatable about a fixed axis, a base movable toward and from said cutter, a chuck mounted on said base in a xed position with relation thereto and adapted to support a Work piece with one end thereof projecting beyond said chuck toward said cutter, and a supporting element mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation to said chuck and having a cavity to receive said end of said work piece and support the same against deflection, the wall of said cavity extending about and engaging said end of said work piece for the major portion of its circumference tok accurately center the same with relation to said chuck and prevent the deflection thereof by said cutter.

3. In a machine comprising a cutter rotatable about a xed axis, a base movable toward and r from said cutter, a chuck mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation thereto and adapted to support a work piece with one end thereof projecting beyond said chuck towardsaid cutter, and a supporting element mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation to said chuck and having a cavity to receive said end of said Work piece, the wall of said cavity engaging said end of said work piece to center the same with relation to said chuck and prevent deflection thereof by said cutter, and havingr an opening through which said cutter may operate on that portion of said work piece which is Within said cavity.

4. In a machine comprising a cutter rotatable about a xed axis, a base movable toward and from said cutter, a chuck mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation thereto and adapted to support an elongate Work piece having a tapered end with said tapered end projecting beyond said chuck toward said cutter.

and a supporting element rigidlgT mounted on said base and having a tapered cavity in axial alinement with said chuck to receive the tapered end of said Work piece, the Wall of said cavitr having a cutter receiving opening 'extending lengthwise thereof and being of a Width less than the width of said cavity.

5. In a machine comprising a cutter rotatable about a xed axis, a hase movable toward and from said cutter, a chuck mounted on said base in a fixed position with relation thereto and adapted to support a work piece with one end thereof projecting beyond said chuck toward said cutter, an upright plate rigidly mounted on said base below said chuck with its upper end portion in line with and spaced from said chuck, said plate having adjacent its upper end an opening to receive said end portion of said work piece, that portion of said plate above said opening having a relatively narrou7 slot extending lengthwise of'said opening to permit said cutter to enter said opening, the Wall of said opening having engagement with said Work piece on both sides of and below said slot.

6. A device 'for supporting the end portion of an elongate Work piece against deiieotion by a cutter operating on one side of said end portion thereof, comprising a plate of rigid material extending transversely to said Work piece and having in one end portion thereof a cavity extending through the same, said cavity having an inner portion shaped to receive the end portion of said work piece, to limit the forward movement of said Work piece with relation to said plate and to support the same in a xed position, and also having a cutter passageway extending through the edge of said plate and of a Width less than the width of said inner portion of said cavity, and means for mounting said plate on a supporting structure.

7. A device for supporting the end portion of an elongate Work piece against delection by a cutter operating on one side of said end portion thereof, comprising a rigid element having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge thereof, said opening being tapered in the direction of the length of said Work piece to receive a tapered end portion of said Work piece, the wall of said opening engaging said Work piece to accurately position and rigidly support the same, said element having in said edge thereof a slot through. which said cutter may enter said opening.

ifi/'ALTER N. FRANK.

References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,808,665 Konig June 2, 1931 2,068,915 Hardin Jan. 26, 1937 2,169,467 Leisner Aug. 15, 1939 2,190,855 Wickens Feb. 20, 1940 

